The Belgium stamps that helped define a nation
You're unlikely to get rich collecting Belgium stamps. Very few of them are worth anything at all. But they are interesting.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Belgium stamps is that many of them carried what are known as 'Dominical labels'. As you can see from this postcard, the stamp has a small label attached underneath. The label has wording in French and Flemish ('NE PAS LIVRER LE DIMANCHE' and 'NIET BESTELLEN OP ZONDAG'). The message has a simple meaning - 'don't deliver on Sundays'. This is known as a 'dominical label' - implying that it is associated with the Lord's day.
Belgium, which became independent in 1830, was traditionally an area with strong Catholic links - as opposed to Holland which was primarily Protestant.
When the Belgium post office was established, letters were delivered seven days a week. However in 1884 the Belgium Catholic Party was elected into office. The new Catholic postmaster decided that people should be allowed to choose whether they got post on Sundays. So the stamps carried labels, which could be torn off.
Similar wording was also printed on postal stationery - letter cards. With these the senders would cross out the wording if they wanted a Sunday delivery.
In practice very few people would have torn off the label. After all, Belgium is a small country with good transport links. Letters which were posted on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays would be very unlikely to be delivered on Sundays. You probably wouldn't bother to tear off the label, unless you were irreligious or you were sending a personal letter and were desperate that your letter should arrive as soon as possible.
The last dominical labels were issued in 1913. During the first world war, almost all of Belgium was under German control, so the post office virtually ceased to function. After the war, largely to the increasing power of the Belgium unions, Sunday deliveries were abolished. And so were the little dominical labels.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Belgium stamps is that many of them carried what are known as 'Dominical labels'. As you can see from this postcard, the stamp has a small label attached underneath. The label has wording in French and Flemish ('NE PAS LIVRER LE DIMANCHE' and 'NIET BESTELLEN OP ZONDAG'). The message has a simple meaning - 'don't deliver on Sundays'. This is known as a 'dominical label' - implying that it is associated with the Lord's day.
Belgium, which became independent in 1830, was traditionally an area with strong Catholic links - as opposed to Holland which was primarily Protestant.
When the Belgium post office was established, letters were delivered seven days a week. However in 1884 the Belgium Catholic Party was elected into office. The new Catholic postmaster decided that people should be allowed to choose whether they got post on Sundays. So the stamps carried labels, which could be torn off.
Similar wording was also printed on postal stationery - letter cards. With these the senders would cross out the wording if they wanted a Sunday delivery.
In practice very few people would have torn off the label. After all, Belgium is a small country with good transport links. Letters which were posted on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays would be very unlikely to be delivered on Sundays. You probably wouldn't bother to tear off the label, unless you were irreligious or you were sending a personal letter and were desperate that your letter should arrive as soon as possible.
The last dominical labels were issued in 1913. During the first world war, almost all of Belgium was under German control, so the post office virtually ceased to function. After the war, largely to the increasing power of the Belgium unions, Sunday deliveries were abolished. And so were the little dominical labels.